Barista, Barista, Bring Me My Coffee

Before Easter this year, I enrolled in a Barista course on the spur of the moment, a decision I'm glad I made.

Reading through the enrolment terms and conditions, it said there may be knowledge assessments.  Carefully the fine print because the 'may' should have read 'will be', but I wasn't there to edit the T&Cs.

The assessment quizzes also included a Language, Literacy and Numeracy Test (LLN), which required a 100% pass mark, either 100% or 'see you on the next prac course'.

So I carefully read (twice) a mountain of pages about hygiene practices for food and preparing and serving espresso until my eyes and brain hurt. 

The quizzes seemed easy enough until it wasn't.

Hello there coffee machine, we have work to do.

It was all fun and games until one question baffled me.

There were countless alternatives to the answer to the question, at least to someone as detail-oriented as me, and after an excruciating period passed, I gave up and called the college.

The college contact wasn't a facilitator but was worthy of one. 

Their clear line of questioning to the question I agonised over helped me finally reach the correct answer - go me!  It was embarrassingly simple.

Note to Self: next time I take an exam or quiz, try not to keep things simple.

The following morning I arrived at the appointed time, eager to begin my barista learning experience in the finer art of making espresso.

I learned to pour two at a time x three milk coffee of caps, lattes, piccolos, mochaccinos (looked delish) and flat whites. 

Milk coffees done, we started on the short/long blacks, ristretto, short/long macchiatos, and a long black ... phew! 

I prefer soy milk with coffee, so I decided to froth soy. 

My steam wand whooshed, squealed and occasionally screamed as I moved the milk jug up, down and around. 

It was disappointing to see my best effort of frothing had produced a jug of hot milk instead.

Maybe it was because the milk wasn't cold, or it wasn't barista-class soy, or could this have been a student error? 

Last we cleaned everything until everything sparkled and the angels sang.

Now that I am competent in making the above coffees, I have a newfound respect for baristas -  pulling shots of delicious coffee is an art form. 

The irony of my barista course was we didn't get to sample a single drop of delicious dark brew. 

Nope, not a single drop of coffee passed our lips - we were too busy pulling shots and being assessed!  

I solemnly give thanks to the Hairy Goddess for the flat white with soy I thought to buy from the cafe next door before class commenced.

As a sexagenarian, I know one thing for sure, age is no barrier to learning a new skill - you can train an old dog new tricks - who decided you couldn't?

Now to secure an apprenticeship ...

To Art Class With Love

Inspiration can arrive like a whisper in the wind, a feeling of excitement followed by goosebumps, or as a vision in the dream state, a relaxing  moment, or when still and calm. When it does knock on your door be on the look out for synchronicity at play. 

Whatever method inspiration uses, take notice because from a lifetime of personal experiences it will move on to the next person who will bring it to life by taking action.

Synchronicity happens in magical ways though often recognised in hindsight.

During the latter half of 2020 I would hear the word painting somewhere outside of myself and would see works of art displayed on easels in my mind's eye. Back then art class was an idea floating in my head not yet my heart.

Returning from Darwin in early 2021 friends met me at the airport to very kindly drive me home. As we chatted enthusiastically (mostly me), free art classes in Bulimba were mentioned and I knew this was a sign leading me there. I thanked my friends for passing this information on though it took several weeks before I finally sat down and began my search for these classes.

 I tracked them down through the Art with Love Foundation website and found they're held in the lovely riverside suburb of Bulimba, 4kms from Brisbane's CBD.

Bulimba isn't close to where I live but I decided to go and attended my first Saturday morning class in February.

My decision to paint a 'simple' landscape on my small canvas (see left image) was anything but and  took 3 hours to paint one layer.

 Over the course of 3 classess Art With Love founder Steve Ninnes said for me to let go of control, 'easy for some' I thought as he stopped to help me with technique. Watching him use deft, flowing strokes on my canvas made it look so incredibly easy, which apparently it is if I could just let go of control and be in the flow.

Looking for non-existent perfection, my artwork remains incomplete and I've promised myself that I will continue to work on letting go of control and be in the flow.

Tomorrow I return for another art class, first stop the Fiddle Leaf cafe (image below) which is conveniently located next door, for a delicious flat white with soy. 

After my coffee? Well, it's possible my inner genius will rise up to the challenge and finally complete my artwork so I can chat more with the many talented artisans you can find here.

I might even see you there next week 😉

A Magical Top End Sunset, Christmas Eve 2020

 

After a harrowing 2020 due to you-know-what-and-let's-not-mention-it-ever-again, I flew to Darwin to spend Christmas with my children who earlier in December had relocated there.

Darwin, the tropical capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia, is the place I discovered I had the ability to sweat from my eyeballs, nostrils, and everywhere else. If you're keen for a road trip, from Sydney to Darwin it's a 3942km trip, by air around 3160kms. Either way, it's a very, very long way.

Excitement overwhelmed me when, after a four hour flight, my aircraft finally touched down on Darwin soil. I'd made it!

There are strict border controls throughout Australian states and it's no different in the Territory. Showing my border pass to airport officials and declaring I was infection-free, I was good to go and found my family waiting to begin a short but exciting, new adventure.

Greetings over with and luggage collected, the first stop was to a bottle-o - Aussie slang for bottle shop, a place to buy alcoholic beverages, chips and jerky, and where sometimes a free wine tasting event happens.

The bottle-o was understandably packed as it was Christmas Eve and shops closed the next day so I struck up a conversation with a mum and daughter behind me. We chatted about the virtues of prosecco and champagne as we inched closer to the checkout. At the checkout I was asked to show my photo ID, not for checking if I was of legal age to consume my bubbly beverage but because it's a requirement for residents of the Territory and visitors. So remember to pack your photo ID folks if you're heading up here.

Next stop, my hotel in Palmerston, a satellite city around 20kms south-east of Darwin and where the kids were also staying. Suitcase unpacked, balcony view checked out, we hit the road late afternoon for Darwin's fabulous Waterfront precinct.

From the waterfront we decided to walk to Stokes Hill Wharf, a short 1km walk. Luckily my eldest grandson had hired a scooter and offered me a lift which I gratefully accepted. We took off like the Fast and the Furious (kidding) until the front wheel began to launch itself upwards due to uneven weight distribution from the rear passenger 😉

Our group arrived at the wharf in time to watch a glorious and extraordinary Darwin sunset. The vibe here was one of pure joy and magic. 

Maybe it was magical because of the changing colour palette of the sky with its blues, pinks, golds and yellows, the silky smooth ocean, or seeing low hanging white, fluffy cumulus clouds which appeared to be stationary (possibly hiding the Mothership).

Or, it may have been the mewing sound of opportunistic seagulls waiting to snatch the odd chip or two.

Or possibly it was the smell of salty sea air, heavy with humidity, and of the deliciousness wafting from nearby restaurant kitchens. It may even have been watching clever, huge fish who are literate up here and can read the 'No Fishing' signs and who therefore take a statement swim around the pylons with an attitude of  'Look at Me, you can't fish me'.

Maybe it was the groups of people eating, drinking, laughing and engaged in conversation enjoying this moment. To me it was a combination of all of the above including being with my loved ones, an open heart, gratitude to have been given the opportunity to make this possible, and much more.

While no coffee was drunk as the sinking sun disappeared over the Cox Peninsula, there was a delicious, cold and crisp piccolo in my hand to cheers with immense gratitude, the magic of a Top End Christmas Eve.

Cheers 🍹

 

This is the only moment

 

 

The past is in the rear vision mirror, the future not set, there is only this moment.

Thích Nhất Hạnh, a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, put it nicely when he said,

"Breathing in I calm my body. Breathing out I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment!"

To centre oneself and repeat the good monk's quote, can bring you back to this moment and enjoy inner peace. 

I took this short Youtube clip  Wednesday morning feel-good vibes early this morning and was grateful to have had that moment and the many other things which make up my life.

Years ago I taught meditation and spiritual development classes and used a similar quote, mostly as a pattern interrupt by adding a sprinkle of humour to it.

Life can be stressful particularly when events are out of our control but we have the power to be aware and prepare, to reframe negative self-talk, and add humour to the mix.

The present moment, together with a sense of gratitude is a wonderful place to be and if you have yet to try it, I can highly recommend it.

Until next time, stay safe and well 😁

A Kaleidscope called Butterflies

I came to a screaming halt during a recent power walk when there before me were hundreds of beautiful butterflies. They were fluttering about haphazardly among the white bottlebrush shrubs bordering the footpath opposite the now empty café strip of Scarborough.

Mesmerising to watch, these hyperactive butterfly lovelies took my mind off the agony of prolonged home detention during the COVID-19 isolation phase.

Did you know a group of butterflies are called a flutter, wing, swarm, rabble, but are officially called a kaleidoscope?  If you didn't that makes you and me both - I was happy to have learned something that day.

Butterflies symbolise inner transformation, change, resurrection, joy, endless potential, happiness, and hope. Tis the season for butterflies but I've never seen so many and not the only one who noticed. Maybe it's because of good rainfall out west - who knows. To me, the COVID-19 event is a pivotal time in history and the butterflies cement this transformational time for me. It's the ending of life as we knew it and the beginning of endless potential.

With restrictions still some time away and work contracts a thing of the past, I make the most of my solitary confinement by walking along the beachfront. I watch Old Sol rise over the horizon and walk on cold sand (wonderful exfoliation for the feet) mainly to get away from the footpath where its a peak hour of joggers and people walking their dogs.

With single-minded focus, I power walked the 5kms to visit butterflies (the links below will take you to, two short YouTube clips).

Butterfly Magic

Butterflies


Sadly no coffee shops were open for a flat white with soy to be had, so I powered back up and walked home.

The exercise was great, the butterflies better.

Until next time, cheers 🦋

There's Gold in that Feedback

 Scrolling through Instagram recently, I found myself comparing my images against those shared by more experienced photographers.

 I know, I know, I shouldn't compare my photos against theirs, but I did.

 Several weeks ago a kind and generous photographer friend said next time I should use a tripod and lower the shutter speed to improve image quality, while another said, "keep those horizons straight!"
 
 As you can see from the image below, a tripod would have helped keep the horizon straight and saved this photo from having to be cropped.

I could say I was following Earth's orbit ...

Mango Madness at the Drive-Thru

 I adore fruit bats. Really, I do. These mammals with their cute little faces and gorgeous brown eyes are nature's little gardeners who spread their seeds far and wide and help pollinate more than 100 species of native trees.

Flying-foxes spread the pollen of valuable plants as they feed, so they play an important role in our environment. Some plants even rely on flying-foxes to pollinate their species.

~ Wildlife Preservation Society of Qld

 We need these noisy, furry, flying gardeners to help our environment flourish and although grey-headed flying foxes are listed as vulnerable, and I'm optimistic we can help get their numbers back up.

Grey-headed flying fox colony, Lowood Queensland

 Grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) shown above, are also known as fruit bats or megabats and are a warm-blooded mammal native to Australia. They're also our largest bats.

 The bat image was taken mid-afternoon and the colony quiet, except for the occasional squabble, screech, scream, and yoga wing stretch.

 Speaking of yoga wing stretch, it was interesting to watch them stretch their wings (around 1 metre or 3.3 feet across), then wrap themselves up again. For some reason, this reminded me of stuffed cabbage leaves.

 But, they're not always at their roost 😉 

Vibrant, Colourful, Eclectic - Eumundi Markets Rock

Eumundi, a little township on the Sunshine Coast, is home to the well-known Eumundi Market and is an easy 118 km car trip from Brisbane's CBD. 

According to the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Eumundi has a population of 2200.  With approximately 1.6 million visitors per year, Eumundi's population bursts at the seams during peak times, especially during Wednesday and Saturday market days.

Eumundi has a vibrant, colourful and vibe as do the 600 stallholders - it's peace, sustainability and experience to be had.

Colourful piano along Memorial Drive Eumundi

 The Eumundi Market is eclectic, colourful, bohemian and huge. If you're into markets, it's a place to visit - I try to, at least once a year.

 Fresh produce and food stalls are stocked and ready for the influx of visitors, gorgeous bunches of fresh-cut flowers can be bought if you're early enough, there's a huge selection of arts and craft, jewellery and fashion, health and wellbeing products, psychic readings, and more. 

 Once I arrive at the markets you'll find me chowing down on knackwurst with sauerkraut and a generous squirt of mustard, sampling various flat whites with soy and trying to look cool.

Exercise in the Third Age

Once upon a time, I'd walk around 3 km to the nearest public transport to get to work and back (this doesn't include traipsing around during the day).

I took stairs rather than elevators and could bound up them two at a time.

Yoga workouts were more frequent and I followed my weekly exercise and meal plans my incredibly fit and active PT daughter designed for me.

Once my work contract expired I began the long road trip south crossing two State borders, and my fitness regime and level followed suit.

Four months later and back to where I started, the seams of my clothing are screaming, and I feel like a sloth. Remember Sid from the animation franchise Ice Age, or Flash from Zootopia?

Sloths keep movement to the absolute minimum, and so had I.

Living a Sparse Life Has Advantages

Living a sparse life has advantages.

It’s been one week since I temporarily moved up to the peninsula.

Here there is no television set, no washing machine, no dining table and no microwave. Because my current nomadic lifestyle requires me to travel light, I arrived with two suitcases, an inflatable double bed (thank you Aldi), a laptop, cameras and equipment, and a few bits and pieces.

But there is air conditioning – halleluiah.  Summer in Queensland is humid, it’s so humid makeup slides off my face if I leave the applying after 7.30 a.m., and everything sweats – and I mean everything. So I cannot thank the Hairy Goddess enough for blessing me with an apartment with air conditioning.

Cafe with ocean views = relaxation time

At first, the lack of TV was frustrating, but having a laptop, smartphone and Wi-Fi means I can live-stream my favourite TV show of the moment – NCIS, or watch short bursts of the news to keep me in the loop now that I’ve given Facebook away (oh the relief). Now I have more time to devote to Instagram.

After my first week, I found other things to keep me occupied such as exploring the area. Redcliffe Peninsula has cafes, restaurants, the ocean, boats, a relaxed holiday vibe, and an ocean breeze.

For me, daily walks along the foreshore keep me fit and happy especially as it involves having coffee afterwards - my kinda heaven.

This morning after walking 5.5 km along the foreshore, I enjoyed a flat white with soy and avocado on toast before the crowds arrived at the popular Sea, Salt and Vine cafe. The view, while overcast and gloomy, compliments of an approaching summer storm, was lovely from the open verandah, and with 85% humidity, the sea breeze is truly a gift from the gods.

Living a sparse life isn't for everyone but it's given me the freedom to move around unencumbered with 'stuff' while my 'house' remains in storage, and I find my path.

Living a sparse life definitely has advantages.

Till next post, it's time for a flat white with soy 😁

The Rear Vision Mirror

It's in books, music, and quotes - Never Look Back is a thing.

These three words supposedly eliminate feelings of regret for a bunch of reasons such as never look back because you're now on the trajectory of success. Or, never look back because heartache ripped your soul to shreds but look at you now - you are the epitome of success on fire.

Never look back is to move away from something (refer to above).

Like looking in a rear vision mirror, I looked back. I looked back on times where I believed I was happiest and by doing so, wasted years of my life.

On a recent road trip south of two State borders I spent weeks revisiting old haunts.

Who knew that instead of feelings of reconnection and all-encompassing love, I laid ghosts of the past to rest instead.

For decades my heart stored sweet memories of seasons past but upon my arrival at said old haunts I discovered the good time vibes were gone. Vanished. Nada. Those nostalgic feelings had disappeared.

After much thought and several mugs of flat-whites with soy, it dawned on me. I'd stored time-bites of happy memories and often referred to them keeping them alive resulting in years of out-of-date memories looping around my heart.

The reality was people had moved on or away, some were no longer here, some divorced others remarried and created new, happy memories.

The past is the past - never look back, keep moving forward

Through this monumental Aha moment I felt lighter, liberated, my heart stopped yearning for the impossible, and with that came hope for a fresh start into my Third Age.

The paradox is I then began the grieving process of having let go.

Seriously, life sucks sometimes but I dusted myself off, pulled up my britches and got on with it.

The old haunts no longer hold a particular interest to me but are simply places where I once occupied space and had a ripsnorting good time.

Now I'll get back to creating new memories and focus on what I have with special people in my life, and live life with purpose.

The past is the past - only look back if you're driving and checking traffic in a rear vision mirror.

Till next post, it's time for a flat white with soy 😀

Highly Commended Award

Brace yourselves people, here's a little photography self-promotion coming your way.

I've been plugging away at photography for a while and have come within a hairsbreadth to giving it away. I mean, how many rejection letters can one take and before the ROE aligns with the ROI?

Never mind, I take responsibility for my actions or lack thereof. I'm passionate about photography so giving up was always an idle threat.

And happy I persevered. I was recently awarded a Highly Commended Award from the Snap Happy TV on 10 Bold, for one of my Brisbane fog shots - such a thrill and honour - thank you, thank you.

When I entered this competition, I chose my photo (similar to the one below), wrote a short summary, hit send and concentrated on the next thing.

Foggy August  morning in Brisbane

Then the unexpected happened and I received a Highly Commended Award.

Keep at it folks, you never know when your efforts will come home to roost.

Till next post - go for gold I say, now it's time for a flat white with soy 👍

Cheers,

M 📷⛾

Flat White with Soy

Flat white with soy came about from loss - loss of estrogen as I start to move, heaven forbid, into the latter part of my life. 

In my younger years I drank copious mugs of frothy cappuccinos with full, fat dairy milk. Several years later I decided against full fat milk and moved onto skim.

More recently and after a doctor's appointment and test results, she advised me to start adding soy to my diet and coffee, so here I am, drinking at least 2 cups of flat white with soy each day. 

As yet I haven't noticed by adding soy to my diet hair growth improvement and other things but my tummy loves me, and I do love that nutty taste - just please don't ask me to eat tofu 😉

This blog is also about my thoughts and experiences on random topics, and to have a conversation with other like-minded individuals.

Life is short so enjoy every moment from the time you open your eyes and decide what kind of day you will have xo